


The Night We Met

by Ghostinthehouse



Series: Touch Me Not [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Gen, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 10:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21297653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostinthehouse/pseuds/Ghostinthehouse
Summary: Almost six years after Armagedding-tired-of-this-end-of-the-world-nonsense-let's-call-it-off, the once-antichrist leaned on a gate beside a retired demon and asked, "Have I ever said thank you for helping me save all this?"Or: Why Adam meddled in his own baby-swap
Relationships: Crowley & Adam Young (Good Omens)
Series: Touch Me Not [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1544365
Comments: 19
Kudos: 574





	The Night We Met

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square"

Almost six years after Armagedding-tired-of-this-end-of-the-world-nonsense-let's-call-it-off, the once-antichrist leaned on a gate beside a retired demon and asked, "Have I ever said thank you for helping me save all this?"

The demon, Crowley, wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, well, we're only still here because I mucked up switching some babies."

Adam kicked his scuffed trainers against the dirt. "Wasn't entirely your fault."

"Yes, ok, the nuns had something to do with it too."

"And me."

Crowley pulled back and gave Adam a long look. "You? As a baby? Mucked up Downstairs' plans for them?"

Adam wouldn't meet his eyes. "Something like that."

"How-what-why? Why do something like that when you were created to be its pinnacle?"

"The first time we met, you - showed me, taught me - how to love the world and still have compassion for individual people."

"What? At Armageddon?"

"No..." Adam did look up then, blue eyes bright in his teenaged face. "Not Armageddon. Not the second time you and I met. The _first_ time. In the basket."

Crowley stared, went almost sickly pale for a moment, and then just as abruptly scarlet. "Oh. Ngk. Urk. That - time." He'd almost stopped on the road and hurled the basket, baby and all, into the darkness. He remembered considering it, to save the world. Then hadn't done it, for some reason he couldn't recall. Now, his mouth worked, but no coherent sounds came out. "How - how much do you remember?" he managed at last.

Adam looked away, staring out across the fields surrounding Tadfield. After a long moment, he said softly, "I remember the love pouring off you in torrents and filling the car. I'd never felt anything so wonderful before. I - may have imprinted on that depth of love. Love for things - your car, and your music. Love for the world and fear you'd lose it. Wanting to do anything to save the world you loved, and when I self-preserved instinctively, you rationalised it as compassion for a kid who hadn't done anything. Love for people - for a person in particular, didn't know who though at the time, just that it wasn't me. I know I wanted some aimed at me, and cried - like a baby - hoping I'd get some. You didn't have any love for me, only indifferent compassion, so I, uh, think I reached out to make sure I'd have parents who loved me. And it wasn't the Dowlings who offered that."

"So you're saying it was my fault all along?"

Adam turned back, his own love for Tadfield and the world blazing in his face. "No," he said. "It was never your fault. It was the knowledge you gave me that ended up saving everything. Imagine if a different demon had handed me over and I'd imprinted on hate or something instead."

Crowley tipped his head back to look at the cloud-spattered sky, cheeks still red, an aching weariness hidden behind his sunglasses. "I'd really rather not. I kinda like things as they turned out."

Adam watched him, muting his love for the demon's sake. "Me too," he said softly. "Me too."


End file.
